The Missing Episode: The Once and Future Warlock
by fbw
Summary: Season 2, after Episode 2  While Arthur and Merlin are out on a weekend hunting trip, something goes terribly wrong, and now Arthur is left with a child. But wait, where's Merlin?
1. Chapter 1

**The Missing Episode** (right after Season 2 Episode 2 _'The Once and Future Queen'_)**: The Once and Future Warlock**

**All of this takes place before the insanity of Season 2.**

**Summary**: While Arthur and Merlin are out on a weekend hunting trip, something goes terribly wrong, and now Arthur is left with a child. But wait, where's Merlin?

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin, just this fanfic**

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**Ch.1**

The Hunt

"Merlin!" Arthur hissed furiously, spinning on his heel to face his dim witted manservant. "Itiot! That's the fourth deer you've scared off with your bumbling!" Giving the irate prince an apologetic smile, he cowered backwards to avoid a smack upside the head.

"Sorry."Grinding his teeth, Arthur let out an irritated sight.

"_Alright_, Merlin, you stay here and I'll go _on my own_." Merlin made to protest, but bit his lip at the glare being shot his way. Begrudgingly, he turned and headed towards their camp, glancing back at Arthur every few steps. Once he was out of his line of vision, Merlin darted behind a tree.

_'Like hell I'll go back. Who knows what you'll get into.'_ There had been a tendency, or so Merlin noticed, that every time they went on a hunting trip something happened. Bandits. Unicorns. Griffens. Scorcers. It was almost like Arthur was a magnet for bad luck. Silently, he trailed a good twenty feet behind Arthur, darting behind trees and bushes to keep out of sight. Thankfully, Merlin could be amazingly stealthy when he needed to be. After about twenty minuets of stalking after Arthur, they stopped, Arthur crouching down and taking aim with his crossbow. Merlin couldn't quite see exactly what Arthur was targeting, but it seemed to resemble a large fox or wolf of some kind.

There was a distinct sound of an arrow being released followed by an animalistic shriek of pain. Arthur stood, and then began backing away. He reached for his sword, but found that it wasn't attached to his belt. Letting out a grunt, Merlin could have sworn he saw Arthur murmur his name.

"Great," Merlin groaned, staring at the sword in his hands that Arthur had made him carry earlier that day. Arthur glanced frantically around him, then settled on a large branch on the ground. Swinging it upwards, the stick smacked against a lunging blur of black.

Deciding it was now or never, Merlin stood from his hiding place and charged towards Arthur and the beast. Breaking from the trees, Merlin jumped towards the beast swinging the sword violently over his head. His step almost faltered as he saw the creature at its clearest.

It was a large beast with the body of a wolf and face of a troll. It's body was about the size of a deer and an arrow stuck out of its back let, the fur around it matted in dark blood. Before Merlin could finish his swing, the creature swiped its claw into the blade causing Merlin to stumble.

"Merlin?" He didn't miss the all to familiar undertone of aggravation in Arthur's voice. Merlin dodged another blow then threw him a quick smirk.

"You didn't think I was gonna let you have all the fun?" The creature snarled and the back of its paw sent Merlin flying about ten feet before he smacked against the ground with a thud. The creature turned back to Arthur who was attempting to make his way over to Merlin.

"Merlin! Sword!" Merlin shook his head and propped himself up to see Arthur's gaze going from his to the approaching monster. "Give me my sword you git!" Fumbling to his feet, Merlin tossed the blade, and of coarse, it landed only about half way between him and Arthur. He didn't miss Arthur's growl of agitation as he darted for the sword. The black wolf creature snarled and broke into a violent sprint. Arthur reached the sword with a bit of a dive, spinning with a well practiced swing. The blade caught the creatures leg and it let out another howl of pain. The creature threw its claw at Arthur, sending him flying into a tree.

The tree rang with the impact of the metal, quivering slightly. Arthur slumped to the ground motionlessly.

"Arthur!" Merlin called, muttering a spell under his breath. His eyes flashed gold, and a thick tree branch snapped from above. The creature glanced up and gave out a shriek of horror as the branch hit it with a sickening thud. Darting forward, Merlin took up the sword and made his way carefully around the beast. It stayed in shock only for a moment, before letting out a pitiful groan and shrugging the branch off of itself. Pulling itself up, it let out a whine and limped heavily on its left side.

'_Do it_,' A voice whispered in his head, '_Kill me_.'

Glaring at the injured animal, Merlin raised his sword to deliver the final blow. His eyes met with the creatures and he hesitated. Despite the creatures bizarre and ugly appearance, it was most certainly a magical creature. His mind went to the unicorn, and his blade began to lower.

"Leave." he ordered, throwing the beast a warning glare. It paused for a moment, giving Merlin an almost confused look, then its face twisted into what could only be described as a smirk. Before Merlin could react, the beast mumbled something and its eyes flashed gold. A wave of magic slammed against Merlin, bringing him to his knees in breathlessness.

_'I will not kill you, Merlin of Ealdor, but you will pay the price for attacking me._' Another wave of magic washed over him, his vision beginning to blur. The last thing he registered was the beast darting off into the shadows of the forest with what he could have sworn was the sound laughter.

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Groaning in pain, Arthur came to and reached behind his head to nurse the bump that was forming. The sun was low in the sky, letting him know he hadn't been unconscious for too long. Half an hour or less about. Pulling himself up, he glanced around for the beast, but it was gone. He remembered Merlin charging onto the battle ground, his sword being manhandled horribly by his manservant's clearly incapable hands.

'_Where's Merlin?_' Standing, he scanned the area for his idiotic manservant, but instead, his gaze locked on the back of a fallen child. Worry overtaking his features, he ran towards the child. His eyes scanned the area again as he moved, searching for the bodies of the child's parents. The boys hand was wrapped loosely around a sword.

'_That's mine,_' Arthur noted, pulling it away from the child. Carefully, he pulled the small boy onto his lap, noticing the blue shirt he was tangled in was far to large. The boy looked about five and had short black hair that framed his dirty face. A red scarf around his neck caught his eye and he noticed for the first time, the tunic was the exact color of Merlin's, and Merlin was the only one he knew to have that red scarf. Looking down in horror, he gapped at the unconscious boy.

"_Merlin?_" He choked out, his breath getting stuck in his throat.

**Author's Note: DUN DUN DUUUUNNNN! Merlin is now a five year old! What will our charming prince do now?** **Reviews are warmly welcomed! What did you guys think?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Thank you all for the wonderful reviews! Sorry it took so long to get this one up. Allllrighty folks! Chapter 2 here we go!**

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**Ch. 2**

Arthur stared down at the unconscious boy in horror.

"How did this-? How could...?" he whispered to himself with a slight tint of insanity in his tone.

_'I need to get him back to Camelot. To Gaius.,'_ his gaze drifted to the ever setting sun, then back to the child in his lap, _'but that's a day's ride away, and it'll be too dangerous to carry him at night with the beast still lurking about.'_ Dragging his hand through his hair, he let out a long breath. Placing Merlin's tiny body back on the ground, he picked up his sword and placed it back in his belt, then pulled his shrunken manservant awkwardly into his arms. His chain-mail jingled as he moved Merlin's head into the crook of his arm.

Looking down he couldn't help but silently apologize for the discomfort the chain-mail must have caused the boy. As he lifted him, he heard the sound of rustling fabric as it fell to the floor. Peering at the ground, he tried to awkwardly shift the boy and lean down to grab the cloths, but decided it was a bad idea after the third attempt and the boy slipping from his grip. With a sigh of defeat, he knelt back down and placed Merlin back on the ground. His cheeks flushed slightly at how ridiculous this whole thing was. Picking up the cloths, he piled them into a mound next to Merlin.

Merlin was still tangled in the overly large tunic, his shoulders popping out of the head hole, and the scarf hung like a large bib on his neck. His jacket was strewn wantonly beneath him.

_'Now how am I going to carry the shoes?'_ Placing his hand on the side of his head, he racked his brain for a solution. _'I could always just leave them and get him a new pair when we get back._' But he felt a slight twinge of guilt at the idea. They were his manservants only pair and he did seem attached to them.

Bending over with a sigh, he reached for Merlin, pulling the shirt up and wrapping the jacket around him. He pulled Merlin back into his arm, adjusting him so he was able to collect Merlin's cloths with his other hand. At first, he tucked the objects under his arm, but decided against it when they started to fall out from under before he'd even stood up. Giving what must have been the hundredth grunt that day, he gave up and placed the cloths and shoes on top of the boy and lifted him.

Merlin didn't stir as Arthur's strides unintentionally jostled him about in his arms. Once they were back to camp, Arthur placed him on his own bedding and cushioned his head with a small pillow. Merlin's breaths matched his size, they were tiny and quiet, his chest moving evenly. Arthur couldn't help but notice how _small_ he was. He wasn't as scrawny as he was when he was older, but his stature was tiny. After studying him for a moment, he decided to start the fire before all the light left the sky.

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Chucking another batch of sticks into the fire, Arthur leaned back against a nearby bolder. Todays events replayed in his head for the millionth time in the past hour as his gaze droned in the fire.

_'What happened to him?_' Glancing over at Merlin, he studied him for a moment. All answers were pointing towards magic. It was the only explanation. How could it not be magic? Arthur's mind drifted the strange beast from earlier. There was no carcass when he came too after being thrown against the tree, so he assumed the beast was still alive somewhere. It didn't kill either of them, and now Merlin was a child.

'_But why?_' His thoughts abruptly shifted as a soft wine and the rustling of fabric reached his ears. Moving over to Merlin, he knelt beside the bedding as he began to stir. Merlin's eyes slowly opened, blinking with confusion, Arthur's eyes met shining blue's riddled with confusion. The boy quickly shot up and shuffled backwards in fear.

"Who are you?" The voice was high pitched, but still sounded distantly like the Merlin he knew. Arthur held his hands up in surrender to reassure the frightened boy.

"It's alright Merlin. It's me, Arthur." Merlin cocked his head to the side slightly, but something flickered in his eyes. "Do you remember me?" Arthur did his best to keep the undertone of panic out of his voice. The boy was silent for a minuet, studying Arthur.

"I don't know." Merlin's small little eyebrows were drawn together in confusion. Arthur shifted towards Merlin carefully, his hand still in front as a gesture of non hostility. Merlin started to move backwards, but decided against it and shifted slightly closer to Arthur.

"What do you remember?" Arthur questioned gently, stopping his advance and sitting a comfortably friendly distance from Merlin. Merlin looked at his lap and started fiddling with the fabric of the shirt. He opened his mouth, but appeared to be struggling for words.

"i don't know...but where's my mother?" Arthur was slightly taken aback by the sudden question and stared blankly at Merlin for a minuet not quite sure how to answer. Merlin looked up at him with expectant eyes, leaning forward slightly. He cleared his throat uncomfortably, glancing around for a moment before answering.

"Merlin. What I'm going to tell you is going to sound...odd, but you've been, um, something used a spell on you." Merlin's eyes flickered for a minuet.

"Like magic?" Arthur nodded, and Merlin opened his mouth to say something, but something like a warning bell went off, and he clamped his mouth shut.

"Yes Merlin, it was magic. You work for me in Camelot. You've been...turned back into a five year old by the evils of magic. Your mother is home in Ealdor." Arthur looked at him questioningly, hoping some of what he said made sense. "Do you understand." Merlin waited a moment before nodding his head hesitantly, not completely understanding.

Arthur opened his mouth to try to explain it better, but he stopped when he noticed Merlin's expression.

"What's wrong?"

"Why is magic evil?" Arthur was once again taken aback by the question. Merlin's eyes were innocent and confused, confusing Arthur all the more.

"Well, those who can do magic can do only bad. It corrupts the soul, and all who use it are evil." Merlin made to interject, ignoring the warning signal flaring in his gut.

"but I-"

"No," Arthur's voice was sharp and angry, "All magic is evil. Any one who practices magic knows only evil. They seek to destroy all things good. Nothing good can come of them. _End of discussion_." Merlin cringed and cowered from the sudden volume and harsh tone in his voice. His head hung low and he stared at his lap.

"Sorry," he mumbled out pitifully, his voice wavering slightly. Noticing Merlin's abrupt change in behavior, Arthur's temperament quickly leveled and he let out an uncomfortable puff of air. A stifling silence surrounded them, only the crackling of the small fire and calls of larks in the distance disturbed it. Arthur's eyes were trained to the ground for a long while, his fingers mindlessly fiddling with a twig he'd picked up from the ground. When the d silence became to uncomfortable, Arthur pulled a cooking piece of meat from the fire. Wordlessly, he handed it to Merlin.

The boy jolted at the sudden movement and jerked his head up, only to come face to face with a dark piece of meat on a stick. Tentatively, he reached out and took the offering with a mumbled 'Thank you'. Another moment of silence filled the air, but this one didn't last nearly as long. Arthur's ears perked at the sound coming from the boy next to him. Looking up in alarm, he expected to see him struggling with breathing or choking on something by the sound of it, but instead it looked as though he was holding his breath. At a closer look, he saw the edges of Merlin's lips turned up and his lips wavered unevenly, threatening to give way. The boy was laughing. Or more like trying not to.

Unable to contain it any longer, Merlin let out a cackling laugh that rang through the trees. Arthur stared at him incredulously, then the large blue eyes locked with his in pure, unadulterated humor.

"You burnt it!" He laughed, poking at the meat, receiving a resounding crackle of the skin in return as it fell to the ground. Another round of laughter rocked his small frame. Like a contagious disease, Arthur's lips twitched in amusement, and were soon sporting a full fledged grin. He glanced at the meat and couldn't deny how badly it was burnt. He let out a few silent chuckles, not wanting to give Merlin the satisfaction, even if it was only a miniature Merlin. When the boarder line hysterical laughter died down, Merlin began to pick away at the charred pieces of meat.

After about five minuets of non stop picking and prodding, Merlin had only gained about an inch of cleared meat. Giving an irritated sigh, Arthur reached out and plucked the stick from the boys hands. Ignoring the offended, 'Hey!' from Merlin, he pulled out his pocket knife and easily skinned away the blackened meat in a fourth of the time. Handing it back to Merlin, he received a gracious smile.

"Thank you!" Arthur's retracting hand paused for a moment. The boy's smile was Merlin's. It stretched from ear to protruding ear, and Merlin reserved it only for the times he was immeasurably ecstatic. Merlin just about snatched the meat from Arthur and dug in instantly. Though Arthur had seen Merlin eat before, there was still something amazing and disgusting at how quickly he could scarf down whatever was in front of him, and even though he was a child, it just made it all the more unbelievable.

_'This is most defiantly, without a doubt, Merlin.' _

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Not much later, Arthur noticed Merlin's eyes beginning to droop. He had moved from his spot on Arthur's blankets to a spot on the other side of Arthur. For what must have been an hour, Merlin had been sitting, prodding and poking at the fire with a long stick. Occasionally, when Arthur glanced down, he would see the flicker of Merlin's eyes in the firelight as he glanced away from him.

At this point, Merlin's head began to bob up and down as he fought of his bodies need for sleep.

"Go to sleep Merlin." Arthur said, his tone almost a lazy command.

"'Kay," Merlin slurred, lowering himself to the ground, his head resting on the pillow he made with his arm. Though every time Merlin and he had come on a camping trip, Merlin had slept on the ground, but when Merlin was so small and vulnerable it bristled Arthur slightly.

"Sleep here." He gestured to the bedding, but Merlin simply shook his head.

"S'okay, I sleep on the ground at home anyways," his voice trailed off near the end, eyes fluttering shut and his breathing leveling. Arthur watched him for a moment, his mind going back to the time he'd spent in Ealdor.

_'"Have you always slept on the floor?"_

_"Yeah. The bed I've got in Camelot is luxury by comparison. "_

_"It must have been hard." _

_"Mmm. It's like rock."_

_"I didn't mean the ground, i meant...for you...it must have been difficult."_

_"Not really. I didn't know any different. Life's simple out here. You eat what you grow and everyone pitches in together. As long as you have food on the table and a roof over your head your happy."_

_"Sounds...nice."_

_"You'd hate it."_

_"No doubt..."_

_"Why'd you leave?"_

_"Things just...changed."_

_"How?"_

_"..."_

_"Come on. stop pretending to be interesting. Tell me."_

_"I just...didn't fit in anymore. I wanted to find somewhere that i did."_

_"Had any luck?"_

_"I'm not sure yet."'_

Drifting from the flashback, he stared back down at the boy with an almost empathetic gaze. Reaching beside him, he pulled a blanket from beside him and draped it over Merlin. Shuffling away from him, Arthur laid on his own bedding, facing Merlin's tiny form. Merlin shifted slightly, pulling the blanket to his chest.

"Night Arthur," Merlin mumbled almost incoherently. Arthur stared at the fire for a moment, before glancing back at Merlin.

"Night."


End file.
